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Air pump loop question.


Elchamo
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Hi I just finished my fish rack/wall and I'm planning on using air filters it will hold 8 ten gallons and 3 twenty gallons and I will do one more just like this one by the end of spring or the beginning of summer. I'm going with the linear piston air pump they sell here,my question is why a loop is need it? I know I won't be expanding I have one wall and that is all I got  , that see to be the reason everyone mention ,if I set just a line across the ceiling will there be a problem?  Or how big does that loop needs to be? I don't want it to go around the whole room. Thanks in advance.

Rey

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I've never used one but my understanding is this. 

Say you have a pump that puts out 100psi of air and your stones or whatever your feeding the air with only requires 80psi the remaining air will just travel around that loop.

The other way to feed tanks with a linear air pump is just a straight feed through a manifold. The issue with that setup is if you have the same situation with the PSI you would need a blow off at the other end to relieve the unused 20psi.

If that's wrong someone please correct me.

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I believe a loop for airline PVC is meant to equalize pressure across the system.  In a linear setup, the pressure can decrease from the first to the last tap, significantly, depending on the number of active taps you have.  When a loop is used the pressure can be corrected from both sides, and it reduces the effects of this.  If you think you might have a lot of air to bleed off, then I suspect it's less likely to be an issue for you. 

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13 hours ago, Elchamo said:

Hi I just finished my fish rack/wall and I'm planning on using air filters it will hold 8 ten gallons and 3 twenty gallons and I will do one more just like this one by the end of spring or the beginning of summer. I'm going with the linear piston air pump they sell here,my question is why a loop is need it? I know I won't be expanding I have one wall and that is all I got  , that see to be the reason everyone mention ,if I set just a line across the ceiling will there be a problem?  Or how big does that loop needs to be? I don't want it to go around the whole room. Thanks in advance.

Rey

 

I don't have mine in a loop configuration, and just use a single straight run for a similar number of tanks (thought mine are mostly 20 gallons, with a few 29s and a 40).

I do have an open valve at the end to bleed off air. (To dampen this noise form this, just put airline tubing on that open valve and run it down to the ground and maybe put a sock or filter floss or something on the end to muffle the noise, if needed).

For a small amount of tanks and with a valve bleeding off air at the end you shouldn't see too much of a pressure drop across your setup. You'll probably have excess air pressure in your setup and will need to adjust the air rate down for each individual tank. I could probably open another bleed valve in my manifold and still not see that significant a pressure drop.

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